Tale as Old as Time
by SingoftheLionandLamb
Summary: "Just a little change, small to say the least, both a little scared, neither one prepared, Beauty and the Beast." Bella thinks Edward completely hates her, but on one lovely prom night, he is eager to prove her wrong. AU/Fluff. One shot.


_"Just a little change_  
_Small to say the least_  
_Both a little scared_  
_Neither one prepared_  
_Beauty and the Beast"_

I sat down at the lunch table between Alice Cullen and Rosalie Hale, my closest girlfriends. On either of their sides were their boyfriends, Jasper Hale and Emmett Cullen. They all matched up perfectly together as couples, and they acted like family. Jasper was a Southern sweetheart to the bubbly Alice; Emmett and Rosalie were strikingly perfect together and were the most physical of the two.

I was the lone wolf of the group, the fifth wheel.

There was only one person that could change that, that I would actually let change that:

Edward Cullen.

Edward was Alice and Emmett's adopted brother, but he shared their similar good looks. Yet, he was a unique gem himself. Edward had golden yellow eyes, which was strange, but I concluded it had to be contacts or a rare eye disorder. I'm not complaining though; they were absolutely mesmerizing, always capturing me in his gaze. Then there was his bronze tousled hair, as if he had just woken up and didn't bother to comb it. How I long to run my fingers through it. I bet it feels soft...

And his voice. God, don't get me started on that velvet voice. So smooth and buttery and confident... I could hear him talk to me all day long.

But that was the problem. Edward Cullen doesn't talk to me, even though he's sitting directly across the table from me.

For some strange reason, even though the six of us hang out together all the time, Edward has never really spoken to me. The others, he was perfectly comfortable with, but when I came into the room or said something, he would leave or forget my presence.

At first, I was deeply hurt and insulted, but Alice claimed he was having some personal issues.

I had made feeble attempts at conversation, which were usually short, but I always cherished them because it meant more insight on Edward. He was an enigma to me and I resolved to figure him out.

But the more I tried, the more pieces I realized were missing. And somewhere in between all that, I developed an infatuation with Edward, which soon turned out to be love. Insane, I know.

One of my favorite moments with him was when I made him smile, not a small grin, but a full blown smile that melted my heart.

_It was a cold winter day at the Cullen household. Well, um, Cullen _mansion_. Rosalie and Emmett were inside, cuddling by the fireplace while the rest of us were outside enjoying the usual snow in Forks. Edward and Jasper were busy flinging snowballs and improving their forts._

_Off to the side, Alice and I were making a snowman and loudly singing Christmas carols. She hit every note perfectly while I purposely sang off key to cover the fact that, yes, I am truly a shitty singer._

_"Bella, if you're going to sing horribly on purpose, you should just stop!" Jasper teased._

_"You can never stop me once I get in the Christmas mood! It's my favorite holiday!"_

_"Hey! Watch where you're throwing those things!" Alice complained as another snowball flew in our direction._

_Edward laughed, "Sorry, pixie stick, you know how intense these wars are!"_

_Alice glared at him, "I told you, I'm sensitive about my height! Bella!" Alice handed me a snowball she had quickly formed, "Attack!"_

_I could've said something. Like, I have super bad aim. Or she should be the one attacking, not me. Or that Edward probably hates me. Or that I shouldn't pelt someone that hates me but whom I love with a snowball. Any of these would've worked._

_But instead, my arm swung as best it could and the snowball hurtled at Edward, hitting him square in the face. Maybe it was fate that gave me that sudden burst of adrenaline and good aim, because the next thing I knew, I was rushing over to him, about to apologize profusely._

_"Oh my god Edward, I didn't mean-" but instead of finishing the sentence, I let out a yelp, tripping over the fort he had made. I managed to land on my back, feet sticking up in the air and my head right by his feet._

_I looked up at Edward to find his head bent down, probably realizing what an idiot I was. However, I was surprised to find amusement flashing in his eyes._

_Oh, what the hell. I might as well make the best of the situation. "Do not interpret this as me falling head over heels in love with you."_

_And there it was. A slow, crooked smile spread across his face and his white teeth gleamed._

From then on, I tried everything to see that smile again.

"Bella? Hello? Earth to Bella Swan?" Someone flicked a piece of lettuce at me.

"Hey! What was that for?" I looked up at Edward automatically, knowing it wasn't him, but I was able to catch a tiny chuckle as he picked at his plate.

"We're talking about prom and what to wear," Alice said. "The theme is Disney and all of us are pairing up."

I stared blankly at her, "Ok... and what exactly does this have to do with me?"

"Emmett and I are going as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider," Rosalie interjected

"Actually, it's Eugene," my inner Disney geek said.

"Whatever. As I was saying, Alice and Jasper will be going as Peter Pan and his shadow."

"Oh wow. That's really unique. Wish I'd thought of that." Even though I had no date.

"Yeah, I know right? She was gifted with all the creative skills."

Alice smiled, but rolled her eyes, "The point is that we're all tired of you being alone Bella. It hasn't been exactly pleasant to see you moping and longing."

"Yes," Jasper said, "It's quite torturous to bear."

I huffed, "You're acting like I'm some desperate lady having a midlife crisis and having a guy will fix that."

"Actually," Emmett piped up, "We're saying getting you laid will fix that."

Alice smacked him, "Ignore him. Bella, we just want you to go to prom. Have a night out, have fun, and make memories."

I was going to say no, there was no guy I wanted to go with, and that it was completely fine, until she said, "Maybe you and Edward can go together... since you both have no dates... and it'd be complete I guess." She was looking at Edward and having a silent conversation with him. She may know a bit about my.. uh.. interest for Edward. But still, I felt like I was missing something.

Finally, he broke the stare and looked directly at me. "Well, I suppose prom wouldn't hurt."

Oh my goodness. Did he just agree to go to prom with me? After all these months of barely holding a conversation with me? It must be pity. It has to be. "Oh no, Edward, you don't have to go with me, really." What are you doing Bella? You're missing your chance for a dance with Edward Cullen! "I don't do pity dates."

"A pity date? That's not what this is," he snapped, sounding irritated. His tone surprised me. "I might actually want to go to prom with you, Bella." My name rolled off his tongue like honey.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Alice squealed, clapping her hands. "Woo hoo! Prom is going to be epic!"

Oh boy.

* * *

"Belle! Oh, Belle!" Alice cried.

"Ugh. Bella. Alice, it's Bella!"

"Psssh, same thing!"

Sighing, I gave up arguing. There was no point in trying to argue with Alice, especially when she was in the 'Bella Barbie' mood. She was finishing up my hair while Rosalie went off to find my yellow shoes.

In fact, practically everything about me was yellow. Literally. Part of my brown hair was piled up in a bun, secured by a yellow crown like Belle's hair was. After hours of searching in stores, Alice had just called up a Disney clothing line and ordered a replica of Belle's dress. Alice and Rosalie claimed it'd looked much better on me.

I couldn't deny it. When we'd first decided to go with Beauty and the Beast, I had been afraid that I'd stand out like a neon banana. But I was wrong. I was going to stand out like a golden apple. The dress was more golden than yellow, with intricate designs and the signature off-the-shoulder sleeves. The bottom was huge and poofy and had ruffles trailing down. Then, there was a single golden-tan ribbon dangling amid the ruffles, pinned up by a few buttons. And to complete the bottom, there were sparkles, as if someone has dipped it in a can of glitter.

I'm going to say it: I am definitely feeling like a princess right now. The main concern was if I was going to get the happy ending...

Rosalie came back with shoes in one hand and gloves in the other. "We can't forget about these traditional beauties!"

She slipped the silky gloves on me, reaching past my elbow. That was the final touch. The whole look was complete now.

"I must say Bella, you put Disney princesses to shame," Rosalie said.

We all stood next to each other facing the mirror, and I couldn't help but silently agree. For once, I felt like I was in Rosalie and Alice's league. Rosalie had her long hair down and flowing, with flowers tucked in here and there. She also had on a backless purple and pink dress. Only her model figure could pull those colors off. Alice was going as the shadow, and she donned a tight black dress, showing off those petite curves. The dress flowed down in the back and stopped at her knees in a graceful manner.

I was slightly jealous though. "Ok, you can both look perfect wearing the simplest things and it takes me a bunch of work to even barely look like that."

"Oh, Bella, you're naturally beautiful! You don't need to get pampered up all the time," Alice assured me.

"Well, I don't like make-up and dressing up that much...maybe that's why Edward doesn't like me...I'm just-"

"Radiant. Magnificent. Glorious. Take your pick."

We all turned around to see Edward leaning against the doorway, hands in his pocket. I didn't have time to worry about him hearing what I had said; I was too busy staring. Because, hot damn, if I thought he was gorgeous in his usual attire, words cannot describe how... downright sexy he was in his costume.

It was the same outfit the Beast wore, but it looked so much more... right on Edward. He was wearing black pants with golden lines on the side. Then, he had a long blue jacket with the cuffs rolled up, also lined with gold and buttons he left undone. The collar was gold as well. Underneath the elegant jacket was a golden vest, and underneath that was a white shirt that was puffed out at the top.

I kept staring until I realized he was waiting for a reply to the first compliment I'd gotten from him. "Uh, why, thank you. But I did nothing really; it was all Rose and Alice."

"Always the humble one. Come on, I'll take you to the dance first."

I couldn't believe this. Edward was talking to me willingly. He wanted to go to prom with me. He was even more attractive than usual. And he had just complimented me.

As we were walking to his car, he said, "Bella, you know I'm not really some beast, right? You're completely safe with me."

He surprised me yet again by opening the car door, "Yeah, I know, but it's a sudden... change in your behavior. I don't know what brought all this on."

Edward ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "Honestly, I'm not sure either. The heart has reasons that reason does not understand."

* * *

When we arrived at the prom, I was surprised to see that the night was crisp and cool, not as freezing cold as the others. It was as if Mother Nature knew tonight was important to me and had decided to be generous.

Edward held his arm out for me to take. "I believe this is how a prince is supposed to treat a princess."

I giggled and slipped my arm through his. His grip was so strong and firm that, for some reason, I felt protected, like no danger in the world could harm me as long as he was here.

The dance floor was already packed with people when we stepped through the doors. Disney decorations, like cut out boards, were everywhere, and the lights were bright and colorful, the music and chatter loud. Right now, "Kiss the Girl" from _The Little Mermaid_ was blaring through the speakers, and I looked at Edward, an action I immediately regretted. Because now I was staring at his tempting lips and wondering what it would feel like to kiss them. But he caught my stare and I blushed, looking away, not wanting to see his disgust.

All of a sudden, his lips were at my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "Would you like to have a seat? It's kind of evident we can't dance here."

So Edward and I sat down and in that two hour period, I had officially decided that it was possible to fall for him even more.

The conversation had started slow, but then he started asking me random questions: what my favorite movie was, what my favorite book was, what I do in my free time, and so on. It was like all these months, he had all these questions saved up to ask me, because they kept coming. It soon became natural to talk to Edward; we were both at ease, as if we'd been friends for years. We were leaning in close, exchanging stories and laughing unconditionally.

Seeing this stone barrier of his finally break down made me glad for my feeble attempts in the past.

"What's your fondest Christmas memory?" he asked now.

The first time I had made him smile flashed through my mind.

"That is your favorite holiday, right?"

Startled, I said, "Yeah. How'd you know that?"

"There was that one time when Jasper and I were having a snowball fight, you and Alice were singing carols, and you had mentioned it," he said sheepishly.

I didn't think he'd remember that tiny detail, and it made me wonder what else he remembered. Had he been noticing me as much as I noticed him?

I smiled, "Yeah, I do remember that day. Do you remember what else happened?"

"You threw a snowball at me with shockingly good aim. But then, you freaked out and rushed over, tripping over my snow fort..."

"And I had said something like 'Don't think that I'm falling head over heels in love with you.'" _Too bad I've fallen hard for you now._ "That's my fondest memory because not only did I make a fool of myself, but that was the first full smile you'd ever given me," I admitted.

He stared at me with emotions I couldn't recognize. Finally, he said, "Actually, that's the first full smile you've _seen_ me give you."

So Edward had definitely noticed my existence before. He was just better at hiding his feelings. But... did this mean he had feelings for me? Ugh, I was being so silly. A smile doesn't mean he likes you.

"Take a walk with me?"

"Sure." We walked past all the moving people, and I got a glimpse of the Cullens and Hales on the dance floor, moving so gracefully.

As we stepped outside, the music could still be heard, but without all the commotion of people.

The moonlight reflected off Edward's golden vestments, making him more unreal and angelic than before. "Edward, you have no idea how good you look in that outfit," I said without shame. A day ago, I would've been too embarrassed to say anything, but tonight, things had changed. For the better, I hoped.

He slipped his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky. "I look good? Have you even seen yourself? Bella, you look ravishing in that dress." Then he looked down at me. "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and you continue to be the most beautiful. I meant what I said earlier; you're radiant and I am so lucky to be with you."

"Have you always thought that?"

"I have."

"Then why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you ever talk to me?" I countered, my annoyance rising. The frustration started to get to me now. Here was this gorgeous boy who had ignored me, left me wondering, and then I attempted to befriend him, when all along, he had a thing for me as well. This had to be a joke. "Are you lying?"

"No. Why would I?"

"Because you avoided all contact with me! And besides, you're this really great and charming guy, and I'm just some boring girl with a crush."

Just as I said those words, a slow song started to play, one that we both happened to recognize immediately.

_Tale as old as time_  
_True as it can be_  
_Barely even friends_  
_Then somebody bends_  
_Unexpectedly_

Edward grinned at me. "Okay, this is a must dance for us."

He grabbed my hand, and there was a shock. I realized this was the first time he had ever touched me. "Edward... unless you're asking for a trip to the hospital, don't dance with me."

Instead, he just pulled me closer. "Lucky for you, I know how to dance. It's just swaying back and forth."

"Yes, but remember, I have tripped over my own feet."

"Don't worry. Now that I have you, I don't plan on letting you go." He put his hands around me as we swayed to the music.

_Ever just the same_  
_Ever a surprise_  
_Ever as before_  
_Ever just as sure_  
_As the sun will rise_

I'm sure that if Edward could hear my heart, he would know it was beating at top speed right now. He was so close that I could smell his intoxicating sweet scent. I could not believe this was happening. He'd been the center of my universe for months and now, we were slow dancing. Just me and him. Nothing in the world felt as right as this very moment.

_Tale as old as time_  
_Song as old as rhyme  
__Bitter sweet __and__ strange  
__Finding you can change  
__Learning __you were wrong_

I was wrong indeed... Edward had these feelings for me, and I for him. "I have to wonder, if you had feelings for me, then why didn't you acknowledge me?"

He sighed, "Bella, it's very complicated for you to understand right now. I've always had feelings for you, for as long as I've known you. You were beautiful, adorable, witty, quirky, and so intellectual. I never had feelings like this for anyone. When I realized them, it was too late to turn back, and I could've embraced them. I could've cherished you and given you the affection you deserve. But you must realize I'm no good for you. I'm a monster in many ways. A _beast_, you could say." He chuckled but his eyes were sad.

"Edward, you're no beast. I would know if you were. I've been trying to figure you out, and there's no evil in you."

"There's so much you have yet to know."

I gazed down at his jacket, focusing on the shiny buttons. "I always thought you hated me."

He cupped my cheek and forced me to look at him, "How could I ever hate you? You're everything that's right for me, and I'm everything that's wrong for you."

"You are exactly perfect for me. I won't run away screaming, Edward. I'll stay by your side, no matter what."

He rested his forehead against mine, closing his eyes. "I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore."

"Then don't. I don't want you to leave me."

He smiled at me, and it was that smile that I loved so much. "I'm here to stay, Princess."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He sealed it with a kiss. His lips were cold, but my whole body heated up, and I held onto him tighter. It was a slow, hesitant kiss, but it was perfect. He pulled back and his eyes shined as bright as the stars above us. "There'll be more where that came from."

_Tale as old as time_  
_Song as old as rhyme_  
_Beauty and the beast._

* * *

**So, if you haven't already figured it out yet, Edward and the Cullens/Hales are vampires, but Bella doesn't know that yet. Edward keeps his golden eyes because he hates wearing contacts, but the rest of them wear contacts, so that's why Bella only notices his eyes.**

**Please leave a review because they're so lovely and I like knowing what my readers think!**

**Also, special shout out to my beta, pinetree13. Don't know what I'd do without her guidance.**

**Lastly, check out my other one shots because I plan on writing a lot more E/B! **

**-Alexis**


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